Normally, our German Films colleagues from Munich would be busy setting up their booth at the TIFF Industry Centre at the Hyatt on King Street right now, with the first, early guests stopping by to say hi and grab a brochure. Not this year. But the work hasn't stopped. I spoke to the new head of German Films, Simone Baumann, about what to expect in terms of film promotion and the market:Jutta Brendemuhl: TIFF2020 is happening, but all industry events have moved online, which for you means no booth at the Industry Centre with walk-up traffic or scheduled one-on-one meetings, no parties, physical producer meetings or pitch sessions, no red carpets and interviews with actors and filmmakers, nor coincidental hallway chats that lead to next projects. How are you pivoting your strategy to reach your target groups in the international festival circuit this year?
Simone Baumann: The COVID crisis hit us like everybody else totally unexpected. It is interestingly speeding up processes that had been underway for a while. In terms of promotion, we are reevaluating all of our activities and trying to make up our minds what is the most efficient way to reach our audience in these conditions. Continue reading "#TIFF20: Simone Baumann, head of German Films" »
